Heart Shaped Pepperoni Pizza (Printable)

Tender crust with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and savory beef pepperoni shaped as a heart for festive meals.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ½ cup warm water (110°F)
03 - 1 tsp active dry yeast
04 - 1 tsp sugar
05 - ½ tsp salt
06 - 1 tbsp olive oil

→ Sauce

07 - ⅓ cup pizza or marinara sauce

→ Cheese

08 - 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

→ Toppings

10 - 18–20 slices beef pepperoni
11 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
12 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Stir gently and let stand for 5 minutes until mixture becomes foamy.
02 - Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in activated yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in warm area for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
05 - Preheat oven to 475°F. Place pizza stone or baking sheet in oven to heat thoroughly.
06 - Punch down dough and roll out on parchment paper into a heart shape approximately ⅓ inch thick.
07 - Spread pizza sauce evenly over dough, leaving a ½-inch border around edges.
08 - Distribute mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over sauce layer.
09 - Place beef pepperoni slices in an attractive pattern following the heart contour.
10 - Sprinkle Italian herbs evenly over toppings. Carefully transfer pizza on parchment to hot stone or baking sheet.
11 - Bake for 12–15 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
12 - Remove from oven, garnish with fresh basil if desired, slice and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The homemade dough comes together faster than delivery would arrive
  • Beef pepperoni adds a subtle richness that regular pepperoni cant match
  • Shaping pizza into a heart turns ordinary dinner into something celebratory
02 -
  • Getting the water temperature right is crucial, too hot kills the yeast and too cold wont activate it
  • Shaping dough into a heart gets easier with practice, so dont stress about perfection
  • That blazing hot baking surface is what creates the crispy bottom crust home cooks often struggle to achieve
03 -
  • The parchment paper transfer method prevents tearing your delicate heart shape when moving it to the oven
  • Room temperature ingredients help the dough come together smoothly and prevent sticking

Go Back